SPOKANE, WA—(club release)Spokane SC Shadow announced today that long-time Shadow youth coach Kevin Moon will serve as the head coach for the Spokane Shadow Women’s First Team as it makes its debut in the newly-created Northwest premier League (NWPL) this spring and summer.

The highly regarded USSF National A Licensed coach is the only member of the club’s staff that dates back to the initial years of the Shadow youth program in 2001, and has been a vital part of the club’s success in helping guide young athletes into the collegiate ranks serving as the club’s collegiate advisor for many years. Many of those players, who may return to Spokane to play for the First Team this season, have gone on to find success at the college level.

“I am extremely excited to be the head soccer coach for the Shadow Women’s First Team,” said Moon. “I would like to sincerely thank SSC Shadow for affording me this tremendous opportunity and I am honored to have this chance to work with some of our Shadow youth club alumni and collegiate players returning for the summer.”

“We are thrilled to have Kevin lead our first ever Women’s Team,” said club Technical Director Abbas Faridnia. “Kevin has brought the foundation for some of the most talented players coming out of Spokane. His knowledge of the game, of the SSC Shadow Way only exemplifies why he is the one to be our head coach.”

The Whitworth graduate helped lead the Pirates to three conference titles during his playing career (1988-91) at the school and has often been a part of the soccer coaching staff, serving as a men’s assistant on two occasions and, most recently, as a women’s soccer assistant (1992-96, 2001, 2010-15). His playing career also included a brief stint with the Shadow men’s side during its provisional 1995 season prior to joining USL’s Premier Development League.

“We are thrilled someone of Moon’s experience and dedication is stepping up to lead a team we feel could be a fantastic blend of the area’s top current and recent collegiate players along with the city’s outstanding high school talent, all looking to further their development and careers,” said Shadow First Teams General Manager Gerald Barnhart. “He is the perfect individual to take on that task while also using his great connection with many of his former players to build what will likely be a contender for the inaugural NWPL title.

In addition to coaching with the Spokane Shadow and as an assistant at Whitworth, Moon has also been providing academy and camp training sessions since 1997, which later developed into the Spokane Soccer Academy, one of the area’s most successful training programs since its founding in 2002.